The twenty-ninth of each year brings about both the birthday of Sila and the anniversary of our parents. She has always quipped that she was Atok and Opah’s third anniversary present. Atok and Opah were on site in Perlis on this day, so we thought we would go celebrate at the restaurant where we celebrated Ain’s birthday not two weeks earlier. This time I took a photo of Ain’s burger, which was enormous. Atok ordered a burger too while Opah had a chicken chop. I wish Sila, Vin, Yaya and Rafiq were here to celebrate with us. I really miss them, having last seen them recede into the distance at the airport almost six years ago on a very dark day. Happy anniversary Atok and Opah and happy birthday to Sila, Adik the Elder! May all of you be blessed with laughter and contentment.
Continue readingTag Archives: Birthday
Also thanks to Cik Emma for the birthday cake
A list of blog posts where BIRTHDAYS were celebrated. Also, lots of food photos..
A Birthday Dinner Appeared Out of Nowhere
What words can I write that would do justice in wishing a happy birthday to a woman who has always been on my side through it all and still can smile and laugh with me? Probably nothing, except Happy Birthday. And sorry I forgot to take a photo of your burger. LOL! It’s as yummy as Irfan’s chicken chop up there.
Continue reading
Happy Birthday to Little Adik
Happy birthday, Little Adik who is now four solar years old. He is quite the loquacious dude on Google Hangouts as the image to the right reveals. I can’t believe he’s talking to me using text on the internet these days. Maybe someday he’ll be a writer, if he writes as well as his sister draws! May he continue to communicate honourably and wisely throughout he future. Verbally, visually or meta-textually.
Continue reading
Yet Another Cousin Arrives
After our inaugural viewing of Star Wars The Force Awakens in Alor Setar, Cikma – who was very far along her pregnancy – was admitted to hospital for blood pressure that went through the roof. So first thing the next morning Ain and Irfan travelled to KL by bus to aid Cikma. But before their bus cruised into the city, young Rania Sumayyah was decantered into this world. Both mother and infant were healthy upon her arrival. Welcome to this universe, Baby Rania! Of course, Irfan is happy because he gets to meet with his cousins!
Continue reading
Is that 13 Solar or Lunar Years?
And just like that, our once-newborn son is a teenager. As Irfan is so fond of reciting, “Masa berjalan begitu saja.” Although Atok and Opah had treated us to an early birthday dinner with Irfan back in Sitiawan, we went to Burger Republik once more to commemorate the day. From the urban inner city streets of Pandan Indah (which we rarely allow him to be on unsupervised) to the more relaxed conditions of Perlis! Happy birthday and may you continue to grow and burgeon with wisdom and positivity. His birthday present, by the way, is a book.
Continue reading83 Months
83 months of Yaya! [[image:2015-yaya83month-01.jpg:Happy girl at the beach at night:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions This entry is written two months late so I will keep it short. June was a busy month with work travels for me. We didn’t take that many photos of the kids this month (oops!) but here’s a quick summary. Food status: I don’t believe Yaya tried anything new in June. Reading status: Yaya is doing really well! Starting to read some cursive text. Handwriting improving. Two thumbs up for her glasses. New thing: Yaya started piano lessons in June! Wheee! Adik too but we’ll get to that in his own entry. Yaya is doing pretty well for a beginner. Go Yaya! Let’s see the photos taken in June! We were in the greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida area for work and in the pond outside my office lived a gator, turtles, fish, […]
Continue reading82 Months
82 months of Yaya! [[image:2015-yaya82month-13.jpg:Yaya and Adik:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions I’m feeling pretty proud of myself in that it’s not yet the middle of July (only the end of June) when I’m writing this entry! I will count this as a win! 🙂 May was another full month. We were in Florida for work the beginning of May and we also ended May in Florida. Which was a lot of fun (albeit tiring). I’m trying to keep the pictures in the monthly entries less beachy and have some beach-related entries, but there are a few that may have crept in to this entry because I liked them so much. Food status: No new foods. ‘Nuff said. Reading status: Yaya may even be reading some words faster than Adik! Go Yaya! She still spends a lot of time doing art and definitely enjoys doing arts and crafts. […]
Continue readingRafe – 41 Months
The boy is now 41 months old! Almost 3 and a half! [[image:2015-adik41month-07.jpg:Happy roti canai-filled Adik:center:0]] That is the face he made after eating his fill of roti canai at the Straits of Malacca. * Mouse over the pictures for captions May was a very busy month, bookended by trips to Florida. Even though I’ve been two months late writing the last few entries, I’m actually not ridiculously late writing this entry! Whee! Food status: same as last month. We have learned that when Adik says he wants to go to Straits of Malacca to eat roti canai, and we take him, he will eat like a champ. He’s been known to eat almost a whole piece of roti canai all by himself! And this from a grazer who prefers eating little bites of this and that and snacking throughout the day rather than sitting and eating a proper meal. […]
Continue readingRafe – 40 Months
And so Adik is 40 months old! [[image:2015-adik40month-03.jpg:And he’s excited about it!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions It is mid-June and I am yet again very very late in writing Adik’s blog entry. All the same reasons and excuses as the previous months. I can’t turn back time but I can try to keep it short. 😉 Food status: the same as last month. Reading status: still good. He seems to be able to read in other languages (he sounds out the letters). He is also starting to text me while I am at work using Vin’s phone. I get very very cute texts, mostly along the lines of “Hi Mama. I love you Mama. When I’m 3”. I love all the texts that I get from him, even the ones filled with gobbledygook. Adik also is showing more interest in writing although he always asks for help […]
Continue reading81 Months
81 months of Yaya! [[image:2015-yaya81month-09.jpg:Artsy selfie:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions It’s the same old story of super late writing of the entry. April entry written in mid-June. But that’s how it’s been going lately. So we’ll keep this entry brief, and focus mostly on the photos. We had a late April trip to Florida which will be covered in other entries (eventually). Food status: Yaya did not try anything new in April. Reading status: we are moving along swiftly. Yaya can be seen (and heard) reading books on her own, and her artwork contains far more written words than it used to. So, whee! She is also reading instructions on various things. We are pleased with her progress. And on to the photos. First some egg-dyeing photos: [[image:2015-yaya81month-01.jpg:Pleased as punch:center:0]] [[image:2015-yaya81month-02.jpg:Look at all the colorful eggs! Are they all ready yet?:center:0]] Not sure why they are making […]
Continue readingRafe – 39 Months
And now Adik is 39 months old! [[image:2015-adik39month-10.jpg:Happy little boy, up close:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions Somehow I am getting more and more delinquent – it is mid-May and I am just now writing this March entry. Oh well. Here are the basics for March, Adik’s 39th month: Food status: no change. Still no veggies or fruits other than veggies I sneak into noodles for him. But his palate is still fairly open, as compared to his sister’s. Reading status: still amazing. He seems to be able to read more and more. However he seems to have forgotten how to spell in that when you ask him to spell a word, often he needs help or prompting. He can write his name, but for the most part he likes to draw happy faces on paper or just scribble. Potty training status: Adik refuses to go without his […]
Continue reading80 Months
80 months of Yaya! [[image:2015-yaya80month-13.jpg:I was framed, I say!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions It is mid-May as I write this and so I will keep the chatter brief. March was another busy month where I had my very first taste of having a “real job”. I had to get in my car and drive to work Monday to Friday for 2 weeks. It was both good since I got to be home every day, but also brutal. I am not sure how people do this every day, to be honest! But we all adjusted and it was interesting. But again, we kept it pretty normal for the kids. Food status: Yaya tried Jonathan apples. Whee! [[image:2015-yaya80month-15.jpg:It was not bad, she said:center:0]] Reading status: good progress! The glasses have been a game changer for her. Yaya seems to enjoy reading. I also make her read the synopsis on […]
Continue readingRafe – 38 Months
Here are Adik’s 38-month photos. [[image:2015-adik38month-05.jpg:My happy little boy:center:0]] Mouse over the picture for captions. So, when I mentioned in last month’s entry that we were moving to the smaller entry, I really meant it. Especially since I am writing this so late it is practically April. So let’s stick with the basics. Food status: still good. However still can’t get him to eat fruits, although I get to sneak vegetables in via fried noodle dishes and spring rolls. Reading status: Adik is even reading words in other languages now. He can attempt to read his Malaysian flash cards (courtesy of Uncle Zarin, thanks, yo!). And he is very interested in languages, asking about words in different languages and whatnot. He still prefers shorter books over the longer ones. Even though he can read the words he doesn’t want to grasp with plot lines and character development yet. He wants […]
Continue reading79 Months
79 months of Yaya! [[image:2015-yaya79month-02.jpg:Peekaboo!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions February was another crazy busy month. I traveled (without Vin and the kids) 2 out of the 4 weeks of the month. In fact, I’m writing this entry so late that it’s almost April now and I’m only just writing the February entry. Since this entry is being written so late, I will keep it brief. Despite the craziness that was my life, Vin and the kids had a pretty quiet month. They got to stay home and be normal, and we all learned how to enjoy FaceTime and cope with time differences and distance. Yaya did very well during my absences, it’s a little sad for me to realize that my little baby girl is growing up and getting independent. She does enjoy the bribes that accompany me (and my suitcase) upon my return from these work […]
Continue reading
Birthday Burgers
Ain and I couldn’t celebrate our recent birthdays during our birthdays for one reason or another. Then we both received some extra coin for doing some freelance work. So we all went for some cheeseburgers at Burger Republik, which I hope would not be appropriated into Burger Imperial at some point by Palpatine. It’s not too far from the house, just over a klick away en route from town. I have made an observation before that this town might have a higher density of burger joints in a single area than Kuala Lumpur. They also have chicken chop, which looked tantalising on the menu but they were not serving any today as the chef was called away for wedding food and beverages duty. Ain’s was a double beef patty and you could still order a triple. Mine was a mutton patty. Ain or course, would not touch mine. Irfan’s towering […]
Continue readingRafe – 37 Months
Adik is 37 months old! [[image:2015-adik37month-09.jpg:Winky boy!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions As mentioned in last month’s entry, we are now moving to the smaller entry for Adik, where we just round up his month and choose photos from the entire month rather than documenting how he spent the actual day. However, yes, I am finding it difficult to limit myself. So for this month’s photos, I have included a few from his birthday trip to the Boonshoft (Dayton Children’s Museum). But before we go to the photos, the monthly roundup. Food status: still good. He tries stuff, likes Asian food, even asks to go to the Straits of Malacca (which warms the cockles of this Malaysian girl’s heart) and comes running for noodles. However, he does seem to be anti-fruit and anti-vegetable. Argh. He does eat veggies if it’s in the noodles or in his favorite Vietnamese […]
Continue reading